By Michael Newman

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Decatur St. Teresa Sectional

Tuscola – Tolono Unity took one step closer to back to back 1A Girls State titles with a convincing regional win. The Rockets placed five runners in the top 10 to score only 29 points finishing ahead of St. Joseph-Ogden (57 points), Monticello (81 points), and Urbana University (87 points).

St. Thomas More’s Fran Hendrickson was solo for most of the race in her win (18:12) ahead of SJO’s Cassidy Bagby (18:29) and Unity’s Jordan Harmon (18:31).

#2 Monticello was without their top runner Garrett Dixon who was rested for this meet. Urbana University took advantage put three in the first 10 and five in the top 20 to win the Regional team title with 54 points. Luke Sokolowski finished sixth overall to lead Monticello to a second-place finish (57 points). The Sages only had a 35 second split on their top five runners. St. Teresa’s Jackson Stewart ran 15:51 to win the individual race 16 seconds ahead of U-High’s Aryan Lalwani.

Carlinville – Staunton’s Lydia Roller won the Girls individual race (17:46) winning by 47 seconds ahead of Shelbyville’s Ailey Mitchell. Litchfield, led by Caroline Quarton’s fourth-place finish, put three runners in the top seven to win the Girls team title with 51 points ahead of Staunton (66 points) and Shelbyville (82 points).

Carlinville put five runners in the top ten on their home course to win the Boys Regional with 31 points. The Cavaliers had a 23 second split on their top five led by Cale Williams and his third-place finish. Shelbyville, with 44 points, finished second.

Robinson – Negus Bogard won the individual race to lead Robinson to the Boys team win (36 points) placing five runners in the top 15. Bogard’s winning time of 15:34 was 12 seconds faster than second-place finisher Cort Ross of Casey-Westfield. Toledo Cumberland (71 points) and Marshall (101 points) finished second and third.

Teutopolis, led by the 2-4 finish from Morgan Mette and Jessica Runde, won the Girls Regional title with 49 points. Lawrenceville (57 points) and Neoga (95 points) were the next two teams. Cumberland’s Jasmyn Dittamore earned the individual regional title (19:00) by eight seconds ahead of Mette.

Elmwood-Brimfield Sectional

Farmington – Eureka’s Girls team continues to look strong scoring 36 points for the Regional championship. The Hornets placed three runners in the top seven and five in the top 12 led by the individual win from Emma Argo and fourth-place finish from Alexi Fogo. Argo’s winning time of 17:07 was 50 seconds ahead of second-place Payne Turney of Clinton.

Stanford Olympia finished second (72 points) followed by El Paso-Gridley (88 points), Tremont (95 points), and Bloomington Central’s 129 points.

Olympia won the Boys team title (57 points) as they ran a 33 second split on their top four and 51 seconds on their top five. Jon Neville led the Spartans with a sixth-place finish. Eureka (73 points), El Paso-Gridley (83 points), Deer Creek-Mackinaw (118 points), and Clinton (130 points) rounded out the top five. Tremont’s Leland Sumer ran 15:27 for the win just five seconds ahead of DCM’s Colby Johnson.

Liberty – Pleasant Plains had the advantage in the Girls race. Their top five finished in the first 11 to secure the Regional win with 32 points ahead of Williamsville (45 points) and Liberty (87 points). Katelyn Robbins won on the final time on her home course as she ran 18:29 for the win with Pleasant Plains’ Caroline Jachino placing second (18:45).

Athens appears to be on the rise as we get closer to the state meet. Noah McIntyre finished second to lead five runners in the top 13 as they won with 44 points ahead of Pleasant Plains (72 points) with Williamsville and Riverton both with 99 points. Steven Melin of Pleasant Plains edged McIntyre by one second for the individual race win. Melin’s winning time was 16:05.

Macomb – Elmwood-Brimfield scored 24 points winning easily placing four in the first five with their fifth runner finishing 10^th. Griff Inskeep ran 16:26 to lead the trojans as they had a 30 second split on their top five. A runner to keep an eye on in the next couple of weeks is Hamilton/Warsaw’s Miles Sheppard. The freshman ran 15:41 for the individual win as he was 45 seconds ahead of Inskeep.

Knoxville’s 44 points edged Elmwood-Brimfield (53 points) and Macomb (60 points) for the Girls Team title. Bailey Harris and Breena Shreeves finished second and third to lead Knoxville. Macomb’s Maya Stovall was the individual winner (18:39) as she finished 16 seconds ahead of Harris.

Oregon Sectional

Rock Falls – Host Rock Falls tuned up for a sectional challenge with Winnebago putting five runners in the top seven to win the Girls Regional championship with only 18 points. Kewanee-Wethersfield was the closest team with 67 points. The split for the top five of the Rockets was only 65 seconds. Karlie Hey is ready for a state meet challenge for the title as she ran 17:51 for the Regional title ahead of Rock Falls’ Bailee Fortney by 52 seconds.

Rock Falls edged Sterling Newman 68 to 74 to win the Boys team title led by the 4-5 finish from Matt Laws and Dawson Smith. Newman Catholic’s Spencer Mauch ran 15:29 for the win with teammate Shay Haffner 18 seconds behind in second-place.

Winnebago – Natalia Martino and Katie Erb finished 1-2 to lead Winnebago to the Girls Regional win with 32 points. The Indians put their top four runners in the first six with fifth runner Taylor Ward finishing 18^th. Rockford Christian was close scoring 38 points to finish second led by the 3-4 finish from Madison Franseen and Kelly Giardina. Martino’s winning time was 17:02 on the 2.85 Fuller Forest Preserve course.

Aurora Central Catholic surprised host Winnebago 36 to 38 to win the Boys Regional title. Winnebago placed their first three runners in the top five. It was ACC’s five runners in the first 11 led by Rohn Ritchie’s fourth-place finish that was the difference. The Chargers had a five-runner split of 46 seconds. Keith County Day’s Tristian Olpin ran 14:56 to finish 13 seconds ahead of Devin Tervelt of Winnebago for the Regional Individual title.

Peru St. Bede – The Boys team race was settled by a sixth-runner tiebreak. Pontiac and Seneca both scored 38 points. Pontiac’s Paul Girodano and his 22^nd place finish pushed them into the winner’s circle. Seneca’s Christopher Collet ran 17:25 for the easy win by 65 seconds ahead of Pontiac’s Josh Davies.

Seneca edged Stark County 41 to 46 for the Girls Team title behind the individual win from Audrey Jenkins. Her time of 20:00 was 65 seconds ahead of Spring Valley Hall’s Jenna Parente.

Benton Sectional

DuQuoin – Gabrielle Algoni (3^rd), Olivia Phillips (5^th) and Grace Algoni (8^th) all finished in the top 10 to lead DuQuoin to the Regional title with 49 points finishing ahead of Pinckneyville (59 points). Benton finished third led by the 1-2 finish from Amelia McLain and Hailey Wallace. McLain’s time of 18:32 was 39 seconds faster than her teammate.

Steeleville came back with another strong run in the Boys race. Gavin Conway and AJ Stearns finished second and fourth to lead Steeleville with the Regional win scoring 36 points. Benton finished second with 67 points. Sparta’s Isaac Sinn ran 16:21 to win the individual race by eight seconds ahead of Conway.

Freeburg – Host Freeburg won both team titles on Saturday morning. In the Boys race, the Midgets placed five runners in the top 17 with a 61 second split for the win 49 to 79 ahead of Father McGivney. Roxana finished third (117 points) led by the individual win from Cree Stumpf. His winning time of 15:51 was 21 seconds faster than second-place finisher Justin Mumford of Trenton-Wesclin. This was the first “real” race of the season for the sophomore who finished sixth in last year’s 1A State Meet. Mumford had missed most of the season due to injury.

Breanna Chandler ran 18:58 to win the individual race by almost a minute to lead Freeburg to the team win with 47 points. Roxana (74 points), Okawville (76 points), and Althoff Catholic (85 points) were the next three teams in the standings. Okawville’s Abby Reichmann (ran 19:55 to finish second five seconds ahead of teammate Chloe Tepe (20:00).

Harrisburg – Hamilton County had little trouble in winning both the Boys and Girls Regional titles. The Boys team scored 27 points led by the second-place finish from Theron Smith. Hamilton County placed four runners in the top six. Pope County scored 104 points to finish second. Carmi-White County’s Ty Barbre ran 17:24 for the win by 22 seconds ahead of Smith.

Maddie Karcher ran 20:12 to win the individual race to lead Hamilton County to the Girls team win with 37 points. Carmi-White County (60 points), Massac County (75 points), and Fairfield (79 points) were the next three teams.

Lisle Sectional

Kankakee McNamara – Top ranked Clifton Central put their scorers in the top nine to win the Boys team title with 28 points. The Comets ran a 66 seconds on their top five led by Isaiah Ditta’s individual win. His time of 15:46 was seven seconds ahead of Herscher freshman Drew Rogers. Paxton-Buckley-Loda scored 72 points to finish second behind Ryder James and his third-place finish.

Herscher tuned up for next week’s sectional challenge with IC Catholic Prep winning this regional with 45 points with five runners in the top 14. Beecher finished second (80 points) behind the 1-2 finish from Tori Fasano and Hailey Janssen. Fasano’s winning time of 18:42 was four seconds ahead of her teammate.

Lisle – IC Catholic Prep placed their top five in the first six places to easily win the Girls Regional title with only 18 points. Timothy Christian finished second (44 points) where only five schools had full scoring teams. The Lady Knights took the top two places led by Kennedy Calcagno’s win (19:36) by six seconds ahead of teammate Carly Manchester.

Chicago University placed five runners in the top 12 to win the Boys team title with 29 points. Westmont (56 points) and Timothy Christian (63 points) finished second and third. Matt Gedraitis of Westmont ran 17:16 for 5000 meters in a win by seven seconds ahead of U-High’s Abraham Zelchenko.

Walther Christian – Niles Northridge Prep scored a perfect 15 points to win the Boys team title led by Brian Walsh’s individual win (16:44). The split on their scorers was 43 seconds. Walther Christian (72 points) and North Shore Country Day (76 points) finish second and third.

Photo - Clifton Central after their win at Kankakee